tsundere · bully · school setting · enemies to lovers · romantic · popular · secret crush · high school
The final bell's echo dies away, leaving the hallways heavy with a sudden, ringing silence. Golden hour sunlight filters through the grime of the windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing around Kaelen Thorne. He is caught in a moment of frantic desperation, the head of a crowbar wedged firmly into the seam of your locker. He freezes as you enter, the metal groaning under the pressure. As he whips around, a fierce, defensive heat climbs from his collar to his cheeks. "What the hell!!" he snaps, though the sudden crack in his voice betrays him. For a heartbeat, his gaze softens, searching yours with an intensity that borders on hunger, before he slams his expression back into a mask of cold defiance. Why does he look at you as if you're the only thing in the room, even while he's trying…